The Faithful Extend Hope

Good Morning, Friends~

This last Friday, I took a friend visiting from the east coast up to Long Beach with me.
She has been reading and following my stories of praying and
interacting with the street people who have become my friends, and just
had to make this part of her business trip to So Cal. She recorded her
thoughts about the day so beautifully! I thought you might like to hear
from another just how they viewed the day, though I could not record
everything because she had written so much . . . how cool is that? Erin
writes,

"We parked at the Friends Church and were greeted by several friends glad to see us.
Christine opened up the prayer meeting by asking all who felt led to
pray what they are thankful for. The group was attentive and engaged
without hesitation. “For the new place I found to stay last night,” one
man shouted from the corner of the room. Victor shared, “for God giving
me enough hope to get out of bed this morning.” Another man said, “I’m
thankful for being able to see my 13-year-old daughter for the first
time last weekend.” I couldn’t help but notice Mohawk at the table next
to me, with all his belongings at his side, a large laundry sack, a
tackle box and long skateboard. I watched in awe as he bowed his head
and lifted his hands, palms up, toward the Lord as we prayed. It was a
moving sight.

After a while about a hundred or so had trickled in and Christine continued to engage the
group in prayer. She asked the group what they needed from God--one man
shouted, “a place to stay.” “How many others need a place to live?”
Christine asked. Hands went up all over. Even more hands went up when
asked who needed physical healing. Shirley said the pain in her
previously-broken thumb had returned. Reggie prayed for those friends
who are in prison, that they would experience freedom in Christ within
those prison walls and for the rest of us to be free of the bondage we
create outside of those four walls. It was a beautiful prayer. They
carried one another’s burdens. Curtis prayed. Popeye prayed. Edward
prayed. Victor prayed….all so beautiful--such Spirit-led prayers. I
found it so heartwarming…their openness to share and pray for one
another, their transparency about the struggles they faced. It was
refreshing to witness a community of real authenticity. There was no
fear in the basement that day…just a bunch of broken, tender-hearted
people and an old rugged cross.

Christine spoke on Simple Faith and what it means to Be Faithful in our lives.
You could hear the clanking of metal chairs being set up as more folks
filtered in to hear the Word of God. She suggested that perhaps we could
all start living out our faith by serving one another. It was amazing
to see the servitude in the room…men taking more chairs off the racks
and setting them up for incomers…a beautiful witness of serving one
another.

We walked outside when our time was finished. There stood the Duke of Earl. He took my
breath away. He was exactly as she had described--tall, glassy eyed, big
worn-out hands. He leaned up against Christine’s car and the first
thing he said to me was , “you have that glow like Christine." He
leaned over to give Christine a few suggestions for the group--to
challenge the people more…to live their faith outside of the church
building. He said,'they talk and pray so good in there but then they
come outside and start cussing again and living like animals.' He went
on about three levels of living….those who live like animals, those who
have evolved and those who live in the supernatural. I took the
opportunity to ask, “so where are you living, Duke?” He said, “the
supernatural but there’s very few who truly live there." Then he said,
“most live like animals…I know because I sleep and eat with them
everyday.” He went on to describe why living in the supernatural can
cause such fear…”it requires responsibility,” he said. Profound words, I
must say.

I asked the Duke 'if he knows he could be living in the supernatural, why
doesn’t he speak these truths and challenge his friends?' His glossy
eyes lit up and his forehead wrinkled, “Oh no, don’t say that…God has
already been telling me the same thing.” I shared that there’s so much
power coming from an insider. I asked 'what if these people really began
to choose to live out of their true identities?' Duke put his hand on
his chin, “Go on,” he said. “Well, do you think if they have accepted
Christ as their Savior and chosen to embrace their true identity…their
behavior would change over time?” Duke scratched his head, “like would
they evolve and live in the supernatural?” YES, exactly. It would only
be natural since God gave them a new heart. I told him Ephesians 1 tells
us we are chosen, holy, blameless, righteous, enlightened sons and
daughters of the King. So why aren’t we living like it? Because we are
homeless, jobless, sick, lost our loved ones? No, because we have chosen
not to. Our circumstances don’t have to define us. The society we live
in, those we hold dear don’t hold the power to tell us who we are. But
the Holy Spirit within us does. We are empowered to live fully out of
who He says we are everyday. I could see the wheels in Duke's head
turning…because he knows he’s been called….called to forgive, called to
surrender his past, called to live beyond himself. But aren’t we all?
Called on Mission for God, a higher purpose . . . but we must accept
the call.

He admitted he’s been running from God because of fear…fear of not using
the gifts God’s given him. Fear of failing God. Fear of using the power
unwisely. Fear that has crippled him from responding to his calling.
Duke gave a great illustration of this. Just the other night he was
walking through a park when two guys jumped him. At that moment he knew
he had a choice to honor God in the supernatural or fight. He took the
guys down. (You must know the Duke of Earl is a large man…one you’d be
foolish to mess with. He’s a guy you want in your corner if you’re ever
in a pickle) Anyways, back to the story. Duke looked up and saw the
church across from the park and remembered who he represents and the
responsibility that comes with it. I think Satan tries to tell us the
responsibility of following Christ outweighs the blessing; he is a
liar! About this time, the Duke began rubbing his forehead and
Christine asked if he was still having 'those pains'. Earl had gone off
his meds for PTSD, (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the Viet Nam
War), though he knows he shouldn’t have because his mind has been foggy
ever since. Christine offered to take him to the VA Hospital on our way
out; he laughed and said God had already told him she would offer.

We bid farewell and extended blessings to Curtis, Rick and others as they headed down the
street pushing their shopping carts. The whole thing is a mystery to
these beloved people. Why would this woman from the good part of town
come up here every week, sometimes 2x a week and befriend these souls?
But I can answer that, because I too welcomed the chance to look into
their eyes, feel their pain, and know their hurts. They are our brothers
and sisters. We are no different from those on the street corner of the
inner city of Long Beach. As we dropped Duke at the hospital to get
his medication, I gave him a hug 'goodbye' and reminded him not to fear.
I affirmed him, “The blessing far outweighs the responsibility--if we
had feared, we would have missed out on this divine appointment with
you.” I am reminded that Jesus does the same for us. He waits patiently
for us to walk in faith and trust him with our fears. For He is faithful
in all things.

As I reflect on this time in Long Beach, I am overwhelmed by God’s great love
for us. I thank Him for the opportunity to see the world from His
lenses…to reach out to those who need a touch from Him, to speak a word
of truth to a hurting sister and to breathe life back into a man who
lost all hope. After all, Duke reminded us it was God in Genesis who
breathed life into our nostrils. Jesus says his people will do even
greater things than he did.

Mostly, I am thankful that our circumstances don’t define us. He qualifies the
called and uses broken vessels who are poured out before Him. There is
no greater privilege than to be part of enlarging the kingdom….sharing
His love in what may become defining moments in peoples’ lives. My
prayer is that our friends who gather in the Long Beach basement would
choose to live in the “supernatural” as the Duke calls it."

So, there you have it--another "take" besides my own of loving and ministering to the
street people of Long Beach. "Thank you, Erin, for being willing to go
and love. You were the perfect illustration that day of what I had
been teaching: the faithful are to serve--the faithful are to give
others hope." Friends, there are people near you who need hope--people
whose paths you will cross today! Find a way to extend love to them,
won't you?

Christine